The Mount Rushmore of Beer

Trivia Question: How many people died during Mount Rushmore’s carving?

• A) 0
• B) 1
• C) 8
• D) 27
• E) 116

Answer at the end of the post!

Hey guys. Some friends and I are each writing a post about who we’d put on our Mount Rushmore of Beer. This post is entirely about my beer idols, not the four biggest beer influencers ever for everyone. These four individuals should have their heads cast in stone in the Black Hills of South Dakota that will last probably until season three or four whatever that History Channel show is about what would happen if everyone died.

TWIB: New York, Old Kolschs and $1,000 Baseball Tickets

New York City. Home of Brooklyn Brewery, Good Beer and McSorley’s Old Ale House. So why, as a craft beer enthusiast, did I drink a near year-old Kolsch (not on purpose) and a Guinness when I was sitting in essentially a king’s throne at a Yankees game?

The greatest baseball experience

TWIB – Six-packs, Monsters and Friends

This Week in Beer (TWIB) is a feature where I’ll highlight some craft beers I had during this past week mixed with some related (and unrelated) thoughts. Yes, it’s a play on the name of the show This Week in Baseball which I grew up on and loved.

You know how many beers I had this week? One. Yep. No, don’t look out your window, pigs are not flying yet. Just because my week in beer was uneventful doesn’t mean everyone’s was.

Here’s a few topics that fascinated me this week and think you should be interested in:

The Six-Pack Project: Beers from Around the Country

Bryan from the This Is Why I’m Drunk blog created The Six-Pack Project. He explains what the project is:

“It’s a new, collaborative effort between beer bloggers from around the country to highlight a six-pack of our state’s native brews that we believe best represent what the beer culture of our respective states offer. If someone is coming to visit, what bottles or cans would we want to share?”

I’ve had three of the six he choose but will make it a point the complete Bryan’s six-pack next time I’m in North Carolina.

Surprisingly I’ve only had two of Scott’s Virginia/DC six-pack which include DC Brau On the Wings of Armageddon, DC Brau El Hefe Speaks, Port City Porter, Bluejacket and Lost Rhino Pretty in Pink, Dark Hollow Chocolate and Coffee BBA Imperial Stout and Port City Downright Pilsner.

What do you think? Do these six represent Virginia? What about your state?

No more Monsters in Brooklyn

Brooklyn Brewery announced they will be discontinuing their Monster Ale barley wine. I had it a few years ago before I could appreciate it. I’ll be disappointed if I can’t find it on the shelf one last time.

If you do see it, pick one up. Brooklyn Brewery’s blog says it will age for a number of years.

Note: Find a dark place where the temperature doesn’t fluctuate much and store it upright, not sideways like wine.

What’s there to do now that Friends isn’t on Thursdays anymore?

Okay, that headline might be a few years out of date.

No Sleep ‘Til…Brooklyn

Brooklyn Brewery Beer Club – East India Pale Ale

Friday night I had a beer dinner with the brewery that started my love for craft beer: Brooklyn Brewery (more on that in another post). We had five beers pairs with five small plates at the Buffalo Wing Factory in Chantilly.

1. Brooklyn East India Pale Ale – 6.9% AVB, 47 IBUs, 200 calories. I thought it was odd to start with the IPA but it was enjoyable. It had lasting carbonation with moderate head retention. For an IPA it did not taste too hoppy. Some members of my group who aren’t IPA fans were quite surprised that they enjoyed the beer so much. It was paired with spicy crab buffalo boneless wing bite. The heat of the spicy crab sauce was brought out by the hoppiness. Score: 6/10
2. Brooklyn Brown Ale – 5.6% ABV, 30 IBUs, 190 calories. The maltiness of this beer is it’s most obvious characteristic. It has a strong hint of chocolate. It was paired with a smoked chipotle Gouda cheese. I thought the pairing went well together. I thoroughly enjoyed this beer (it’s my favorite brown ale, period). Score: 10/10
3. Brooklyn Winter Ale – 6.1% ABV, 25 IBUs, 205 calories. This was the only beer I haven’t had before. It was easy to drink and was paired with a BBQ slider. I wasn’t thrilled with the pairing even though Brooklyn’s website says BBQ is a good match. Duck wasn’t on the menu but I feel like that would have been a better pairing. Score: 5/10
4. Brooklyn Lager – 5.2% ABV, 33 IBUs, 170 calories. This beer isn’t overpowering at any level but is quite enjoyable. I’d choose it over a Yuengling any day. Most of my group seemed to like it as well. It was paired with a tomato-basil cheddar cheese. Score: 7/10.
5. Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout – 10% ABV, 51 IBUs, 320 calories. For having 10% ABV this beer goes down incredibly well. My sample did not have much head retention and poured a deep black color. It was paired with a brownie. Score: 6/10.

This was one of the better beer clubs I’ve been to. I do have two complaints though. First was the beer rep. He wasn’t the most engaging and didn’t tell much about the individual beers (how they’re brewed, types of hops, etc.). My second is that the food was paired too complimentary to the beers. Regardless, I’d do it again in a heartbeat.

Overall score: 8/10

Have you been to any beer dinners recently? What’s your favorite Brooklyn Brewery beer?